Starting on Dec. 20, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will offer its annual Holiday SoberRide program nightly from 10 p.m.-4 a.m., until Jan. 1.
In addition to Alexandria, the program is offered to rides in D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia.
Apartment Fire on N. Patrick Street — “A six-month-old infant was rescued by firefighters during an apartment fire early Thursday morning in Alexandria, Virginia. The fire also left 19 people displaced, according to the Red Cross. The child was taken to the hospital for observation, according to fire officials.” [WJLA]
Runner Traverses Entire City — “It’s been said that there’s no better way to discover a city than to explore it by foot. Alexandria resident Stephanie Lasure took that piece of advice to heart. Between November 2018 and September 2019, Lasure ran every single street in Alexandria, logging 330 miles total. In November, city council presented Lasure with a proclamation recognizing her efforts.” [Alexandria Times]
Update at 2:15 p.m. — The event was held Friday morning. See our coverage here.
Earlier: Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg will be making a campaign appearance in Alexandria on Friday.
(Updated 12/13) The results are in for the Department of Community and Human Services’ five-year study of the well-being of Alexandria’s children.
While much of the Children and Youth Master Plan’s five-year report showed improvement, there were several areas where the situation worsened, including abuse of e-cigarettes.
An auto garage near Braddock could be converted into a new 133-unit residential building for seniors.
The applicant, BRG Tony’s Gulf, LLC, is proposing a 70-foot tall structure called Aspire Alexandria at 1112 First Street, where Tony’s Auto Service is today. The new development would also include a 4,550 square-foot restaurant on the ground floor. The restaurant would be operated by the same management company but would be open to the public.
In an effort to make maximum use of limited space, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is planning to wedge a new gym at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School directly over the student drop-off circle.
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School — a retrofit of an existing office building at 1701 N. Beauregard Street — opened in September 2018. While ACPS was able to change the office structure into a school for 650 students, the school division said on the project website that building constraints meant there was no physical activity space or assembly area in the original designs.
As Alexandria’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project RiverRenew starts making progress, it’s looking increasingly likely the project’s cost will approach the half-billion dollar mark.
During an update at the City Council meeting on Dec. 10 (Monday), Mayor Justin Wilson said the price will be towards the upper end of the $370 to $555 million price range.
The 4th annual Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl will bring holiday revelers to Mount Vernon Avenue this weekend.
From 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, fifteen restaurants across Del Ray will have specials on holiday cocktails and beers. Raffles, a costume contest, and a photo booth are planned for different restaurants, with trolley transportation connecting the different venues.
Bus Barn Set for Demolition — “Located at 600 N. Royal St., the former Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus garage, a.k.a. bus barn, has remained vacant since August 2014… Demolition of the bus barn is scheduled to begin on January 2, 2020. In its place, a mixed use apartment building will be built.” [Zebra]
Prominent Local Pastor Announces Sabbatical — “After 30 years of preaching more than 5,000 sermons, the Rev. Howard-John Wesley stood in front of his congregation on Dec. 1 and admitted he needed a break from the Lord’s work… Wesley, 47, has been pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., for the past 11 years, leading four services every weekend, averaging 4,500 in attendance and 50,000 viewers online.” [Washington Post]
Alexandria’s street parking could be in for an overhaul at an upcoming City Council meeting.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss a series of changes to permit parking districts in Alexandria that would allow for greater flexibility of time restrictions. The move is part of a trend in the city of making underutilized parking spaces more accessible.
A new apartment community in the Eisenhower neighborhood is offering a “limited-number” of affordable units to income-eligible households, according to a press release.
The city’s housing site says only five affordable units are available at The Foundry (2470 Mandeville Lane), a new apartment building adjacent to the Hoffman Town Center slated to open next year.
